Pet refuse left on a sidewalk or on a street causes sanitary problems, particularly in large urban areas. Many cities have enacted local ordinances requiring that the pet owner clean up after their pets. Such a task is not only unpleasant to perform but may be difficult to perform at the same time as holding a dog by a leash. Further, since it would be extremely inconvenient to have a device failure in mid-clean up, the device must be strongly constructed, yet must be inexpensive to manufacture and package for the consumer. Therefore, there is a need to provide a device, requiring only single-handed operation, for cleaning up after a pet in a sanitary fashion that is also easily assembled and packaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,468 to Hastings discloses one such device. The Hastings patent discloses a litter retrieval apparatus formed of an elongated unitary plastic frame having a handle section at one end, scoop-supporting arms at the other end, and an elongated central section having a passageway for receiving a control rod. The control rod extends through the passageway from the handle to the scoops. Linkages connect the lower end of the control rod to the scoops and spring biasing means are provided for biasing the scoops in a closed position. While most of the device can be cheaply made of molded plastic, the patent discloses that the control rod is made of metal, therefore increasing the cost of such a device. Since the control rod is narrow and extends down the length of the handle, it appears that it must be made of metal or another very strong material.
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for retrieving litter that requires only one-handed operation that is strong and reliable yet is also inexpensive to manufacture and package.